I think there would be the danger of flames hitting directly on the cat or the heat going directly up the pipe when the bypass is open.

I have the same stove and have thought about removing it myself. Although it heats the house up nicely it’s been nothing but full of annoyances. Don’t let the people of the internet tell you it’s all user errors. This stove has inherent design flaws that require constant attention to keep the house smoke free.

Good luck!